Mack’s mDrive HD automated manual transmission will handle most vocational duties with three programmable operating modes – Easy Shift, Enhanced Construction and Heavy Haul -- when it goes into full production in mid-May.

The North American truck market continues to heat up, exceeding expectations, said Daimler Trucks North America head Martin Daum in a press briefing at the Mid-America Trucking Show -- and demand for the DT12 automated manual has far exceeded even Daum's optimistic goals.

A new report from the North American Council for Freight Efficiency and the Carbon War Room verifies what manufacturers and many users have been saying about modern self-shifting gearboxes for some time.

The new Detroit Assurance from Daimler Trucks North America is an active vehicle safety system that complements fuel efficiency while adding a huge measure of driver convenience. The system was formally unveiled at a ride-and-drive event in Miami, Florida, on Friday.

SAN DIEGO – Daimler Trucks North America expects steady growth in truck sales over the next couple of years, projecting this year will end up with 374,000 Class 6-8 units sold in North America and 411,000 for 2015 – and it's getting ready to ramp up its production to accommodate.

A new medium-duty, dual-clutch transmission from Eaton, called Procision, promises automatic-like driver feel and interface with the performance attributes of a manual transmission, plus fuel and maintenance savings. Equipment Editor Jim Park has the story.

The ZF Innovation Truck demonstrates how a driver could walk along with a tablet or cell phone, telling the combination vehicle where to go. This could boost efficiency for fleets, the company said this week during a press event that also highlighted a new transmission that could be offered eventually in North America.

Heavy Duty Trucking has teamed up with Today's Trucking, an award-winning Canadian magazine published by Newcom, to bring you the Ultimate Test Drive Video series. We're kicking it off with a special two-part "twin sticks" edition. Equipment Editor Jim Park visits Mack's test track in Allentown, Pa., to experience first-hand 50 years of advancements in transmission technology.

GUADALAJARA, MEXICO -- Volvo Trucks North America officially introduced its I-Shift automated manual transmissions for the Mexican market and rolled out a truck model from sister company Mack to address the Mexican on-highway market.

GAGGENAU, GERMANY -- Managers at Daimler's Gaggenau, Germany, powertrain facility Monday proudly showed off how they are building the new Detroit DT12 automated manual transmission, which will be assembled here until it moves to Detroit brand headquarters in Redford, Mich., in 2015.

Volvo Trucks Thursday at the Mid-America Trucking Show introduced the VNX, a heavy-haul, high-performance model designed for extreme gross weight applications. The company also said it’s making the I-Shift the standard transmission on all trucks and made a number of other announcements.

A new series of Fuller Advantage manual and automated transmissions will cut weight and save fuel, Eaton’s Vehicle Group announced Thursday. The savings will offer a quick payback of the products’ “very small premium” in price over existing models.

President Barack Obama visited Detroit Diesel Corp. in Redford, Mich., on Monday to recognize Daimler Trucks North America's decision to invest $120 million in facilities to build the new Detroit DT12 automated manual transmission and the new Detroit DD15 proprietary asymmetric turbocharger in the United States